Focus on the
Farmer Series Continues
By Deborah Willenborg
ARLINGTON, VA -- The monthly USA
Rice's "Focus on the Farmer" Facebook feature is making a swing
through Mississippi to shine a spotlight on Nat McKnight and his operation,
Twin Ridge Farms, in Cleveland, where he grows rice, corn, and soybeans.
Nat is a recent graduate of the Rice
Leadership Development Program. He calls
that experience "life changing," and said it taught him the
importance of sharing information and educating consumers as a great way to
better the rice industry.
Follow along with Nat all week, see
what he has to say about his crop, his job, and his outlook on U.S. rice. Look, like, and, most importantly, share the
posts to help spread the U.S. rice story!
Delta
F.A.R.M.'s Trey Cooke:the iceman cometh
Rice in Action in the Delta
By Jamison Cruce
DELTA REGION, MS -- With rice harvest around
the bend in the Mississippi Delta, USA Rice's Jamison Cruce, Ben Mosely, and
Steve Linscombe, spent time last week visiting with members and attending the
annual Mississippi State University (MSU) Rice Field Day.
The USA Rice team traveled around
Mississippi rice country surveying the rice crop, and checking out conservation
enhancements in rice fields that were funded by the USA Rice Stewardship
Partnership's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Tour host Trey Cooke, of Delta F.A.R.M and a
member of the USA Rice Farmers Conservation Committee, said, "The
assistance RCPP has provided to help our rice farmers address water quantity,
water quality, and wildlife habitat issues goes well beyond the monetary
value. The results are tangible and part
of the ongoing conservation efforts to improve and enhance our nation's
critical natural and economic resources."
The team also visited the Farmers Grain
Terminal, Inc. headquarters in Greenville.
The company handles rice in addition to soybeans, corn, and milo, and
celebrated its 50-year anniversary on August 1.
Following meetings with Vice President for Rice John Oakes, a member of
the USA Rice Futures Contract Working Group and Western Hemisphere Promotion
Subcommittee, along with Steve Nail, chief executive officer, and Will
Weathers, customer relations manager, the group toured the Greenville
facilities.
At Delta Seed & Supply in
Arcola, Louis Weeks and local Washington County rice farmer Carter Murrell
shared their thoughts on identity preserved rice varieties that are being
produced in the area, and discussed sustainability practices setting Delta Seed
apart from traditional rice dryers.
Presentations at the Delta Council
Board of Directors policy meeting that afternoon focused on the Council's
ongoing economic development efforts throughout the Delta and infrastructure
challenges throughout the state.
No other grains
need apply
At a meeting of the Mississippi Farm
Bureau Federation's Rice Policy Review Subcommittee, Mosely presented a
legislative and regulatory update, and Linscombe gave an overview of the Rice
Leadership Development Program.
Delta Council Board of Directors meeting
The "rice pretenders"
issue was a major topic of discussion after staff provided an update on USA
Rice's campaign to prevent the use of the word "rice" in marketing
products that contain no rice at all.
Consequently, the Subcommittee adopted a policy to provide a standard of
identity (SOI) for rice that will be forwarded for consideration by Mississippi
Farm Bureau Federation delegates at their annual meeting this winter.
The statement says the group opposes
the word "rice" being misused, similar to the position adopted
recently in Arkansas, and calls on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to
adopt and enforce the common scientifically-accepted SOI for rice, "as
whole or broken kernels from the Oryza sativa L. plant and the four species of
grasses from the genus Zizania."
If successfully adopted, the policy
will be considered by American Farm Bureau delegates next January.
Finally, staff attended and
presented at the MSU Delta Research and Extension Center Rice Field Day. MSU rice agronomist Bobby Golden kicked off
the program before USA Rice staff presented Farm Bill and trade updates, and
made a pitch to young farmers about the Rice Leadership Development Program. During the five field tour stops, MSU
Research and Extension personnel, along with MSU graduate students, talked
about the latest research updates and findings in the areas of breeding;
variety trials; disease, insect, and weed control; and agronomics.
"Everything we heard from the
field -- conservation projects, research developments, and policy efforts --
was impressive," said Mosely.
"We also got a lot of good feedback on what USA Rice can do to keep
things moving in a positive direction for Mississippi rice."
Dissecting a Rice Plant in Search of its Head!
Published on Aug 5, 2018
In this episode of Rice Farming TV I'm going to dissect
a rice plant inn search of its head. The rice fields have made quite a bit of
progress as they are in the reproductive phase. The "head" of the
rice plant I'm referring to is the panicle or the spikelets and hulls that will
eventually fill and form rice kernels. We call this phase "heading
out". Rice plants are self-pollinating so I'm going to show you, in
slow-motion, the pollen by shaking the plant. I think you'll be surprise of the
progress of the rice crop since the last episode. Thanks for watching and
please subscribe!
Watch by clicking the next link
Genetically Modified,
HIV-Neutralizing Rice Cultivated To Provide Treatment In Developing Countries
Over one-fifth
of the world depends on rice to survive — more than one billion people, to put
it into numbers. This isn’t hard to fathom when you consider the versatility of
rice. As a food, it is a cheap, filling option that can endure long storage
times. In fact, uncooked white rice can last decades if stored properly. As a
crop, it can be grown, processed, and sold easily. It’s a staple food in many
cultures and the center of many popular dishes. For this reason, it’s readily
available in almost every country in the world.
In the
future, rice may do more than just feed people. Scientists have been
genetically modifying rice to overcome a number of obstacles, including climate
change and malnutrition. They’ve recently found another use for rice, although
it’s a bit less straightforward. According to research groups in the UK, US,
and Spain, rice can be developed to combat HIV.
In developing areas like Africa, HIV and
AIDS are a widespread problem. According to DoSomething, a
million people die of AIDS every year in Africa alone. 91% of children with HIV
are located in Africa, and many of these children contracted the virus from
their mother. Without the proper treatment, the virus is passed on in the womb.
To make matters worse, nearly 60% of women in Africa have contracted HIV.The
cream made from the HIV-neutralizing rice seeds can serve as treatment for
those who cannot find actual medication.L-ing / Shutterstock
Contrary to popular
belief, HIV is not a death sentence. In fact, those who receive proper
treatment can go on to live long, healthy lives. However, it is difficult to
properly medicate every person suffering from HIV. Many people do not receive
treatment, and the onset of AIDS limits their lifespan drastically.
This
genetically modified rice might mark a turning point. The rice seeds of this
particular strain contain the lectins griffithsin, cyanovirin-N, and the
monoclonal antibody 2G12. These bind to a specific protein and prevent the
virus from targeting other cells.
According to IFLScience, the seeds can be ground up
and turned into a cream, and the topical medication can somewhat replace
retro-viral medication. Not to mention, the seeds cost very little to grow,
harvest, and process. If the rice farms are spread evenly through the area,
people in remote areas won’t have to travel far to find treatment. This creates
a cheap, accessible form of medication for those who would go untreated
otherwise.
While it
might take a while for the rice to pass trials and regulations, the potential
behind the concept is impressive.
https://www.inquisitr.com/5017348/genetically-modified-hiv-neutralizing-rice-developed-to-provide-treatment-in-developing-countries/
Cameroon, Benin’s low tariffs aid rice
smuggling
August 6, 2018
By:
The high spate of rice smuggling
into Nigeria from the neighbouring countries has been traced to porous borders
as well as high import duty and levy at the nation’s seaports. New Telegraph
learnt that while Nigerian rice importers pay 110 per cent tariff on $443
Thailand parboiled rice per metric ton, Cameroon importers pay Zero tariff.
Also, Benin Republic has reduced its rice import duty from 35 per cent to seven
per cent to attract Nigerian rice merchants to patronise Cotonou Port. This
newspaper also gathered that landing price of Thailand parboil rice is $22
(N6,689) per bag at the Benin port, leading to massive smuggling of the grains
into the country.
It was revealed that all the rice
discharged from vessels at ports in Benin, Togo and Ghana found their way to
Nigeria, the only country, which consumes parboiled rice in the West African
region. Already, Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) had complained that
direct rice importation from Thailand through the Nigerian seaports had
dropped.
The association now depends on
Benin port to export the grain to Nigeria through the porous borders. According
to TREA, Benin imports had jumped up from 805,765 tons in 2015 to 1.6 million
tons as at last November 2017, while imports to Nigeria declined from 1.23
million metric tons in 2014 to 23,192 tons as at the same period last year.
Despite the drop in the imports
from Nigerian ports, further investigation showed that between January and June
2018 alone, the anti-smuggling unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS),
Federal Operation Unit, has impounded 40,370 bags of rice from borders,
vehicles and warehouses. Also, statistics obtained from the Ogun State Area
Command of NCS by our correspondent also revealed that 12,000 bags of 50kg rice
were seized within the last six months.
The command said that 276 bags of
rice were intercepted from smugglers in January 2018. The seizures rose to 2,030
bags in February and 1,264 bags in March. Also, in April and May 4,531 and
3,888 bags of rice were seized respectively. The Controller, Federal Operations
Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Muhammed Uba, who was
worried about the huge influx of the grain into the country, confirmed that
smuggling of rice through unapproved routes was on the increase. Investigation
revealed that rice are being smuggled into the country through the Lagos
creeks, borders in Ogun, Kwara, Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto and Katsina states. In
Ogun State alone, rice is smuggled through Idiroko, Owode, Atan, Alapoti,
Lusada, Sango-Ota, Oja- Odan, Ilara and Imeko-Afon.
The Federal Government had, in
October 2015, imposed a ban on the commodity through the land border, having
realised that the special levy on imported parboiled rice from 40 per cent to
100 per cent in addition to the 10 per cent statutory duty at the port was no
longer working. In 2016 alone, Customs Service said it seized N597.7 billion of
rice between January and August as against N330.5 billion seized in the same
period in 2015. Concerned by the recurring problem of smuggling, the Federal
Government recently announced its intention to shut down the land borders with
Benin Republic to check rice smuggling. It said the move is aimed at
encouraging local production of rice and protecting the nation’s economy.
Speaking with New Telegraph on efforts to fight rice smuggling, the NCS Public
Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, Abdullahi Maiwada, said that the command
had been proactive in combating the menace. Maiwada attributed the rise in
smuggling activities to the porous nature of the nation’s borders. “Our borders
are indeed porous.
We have the creeks and we have so
many outlets that lead to Benin Republic within Ogun. We use our little
resources to man the borders. Although there may be some shortcomings, but we
are doing our best,” he said. He stated that the Customs had sanctioned erring
officers who connived with smugglers. Maiwada noted: “There are bad eggs in
every profession. So many have been in orderly room trial and have been
dismissed. Anybody who is found wanting and has been proven beyond reasonable
doubt is going to face the full wrath of the law.” Speaking in separate
interviews with our correspondent, some youths who engage in smuggling of rice
and other imported commodities along the border areas alleged that law
enforcement agents were involved in the illicit business. A transporter,
Sunmonu Adegbenro, noted that he had been involved in rice smuggling business
for more than seven years. Adegbenro accused Customs officials of aiding their
smuggling activities. He said: “From our experience as a team, Customs
officials are the ones that usually tell us the date and time when federal
patrol team would be visiting the border areas. By doing that, they will tell
us not to move on those days because we usually move in convoy, sometimes at
night or at dawn.
“There is something we call
‘booking’ with OD (Officer-on-Duty) and the Quarantine. So, immediately those
people collect money, they would open the road for any smuggling team that had
paid. It is only those who refuse to pay or underpay that usually have problem
with Customs.” On the complicity of law enforcement agents in smuggling in his
area, a community leader, Chief Raji Alade, said: “I am of the opinion that if
government wants to end smuggling, they should make Customs officials to swear
to the deities of the land that would discourage them from collecting money
offered from smugglers or colluding with them.”
https://newtelegraphonline.com/2018/08/cameroon-benins-low-tariffs-aid-rice-smuggling/
Rise in July inflation seen; gov’t urged to bring down rice
prices
By Jose Santino S. Bunachita|August 06,2018 - 09:33 PM
The government should focus on
bringing down the prices of rice in order to help the poor especially with the
continued increase in the country’s inflation rate.
Antonio Chiu, Cebu Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president, made this call amid the predictions
last week of economists of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) that July’s
inflation rate would be expected to increase between 5.1 and 5.8 percent.Chiu
said that consumers were already suffering from the increase in the prices of
basic commodities due to the high inflation rate.
“If you compare our retail price
of rice to the world market price, Filipinos are made to pay almost double. I
believe our government should do much more to bring down the price of rice to
benefit the poor,” Chiu said in a text message to Cebu Daily News on Thursday
(Aug. 2).
July inflation
Economists of the Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas (BSP) earlier reported that the expected inflation rate for July
is expected to rise to between 5.1 percent and 5.8 percent.
This is a higher range than its
June forecast of 4.3 to 5.1 percent. Higher electricity and water rates as well
as petroleum prices are being pointed as reasons for the higher inflation in
July.
“Going forward, the BSP will
continue to keep a watchful eye on the risks to the inflation outlook and will
take necessary action to help ensure that inflation expectations remain firmly
anchored to the target,” the BSP said in a statement,
The official inflation rate for
July is expected to be announced on Tuesday (today). The Monetary Board is also
set to meet on August 9.
BSP action
According to Chiu, he was
expecting the BSP to likely increase interest rates in response to the higher
inflation rates recorded in the country.
“This will mean that the BSP will
likely increase interest rate in the next meeting of the Monetary Board in
order to control inflation,” he said.
The BSP has already raised
interest rates in two successive 25-basis point adjustments in May and June
this year.
Bankers’ clamor
Bankers and financial market
watchers have been clamoring for the BSP to raise interest rates since early
this year in anticipation of the price spikes that inevitable came due to the
high international crude oil and commodity prices, amplified by the tax
increases of the Duterte administration which became in effect last January 1.
While there are many reasons why
inflation rate is high, Chiu said the price of food is a major component to
determine the country’s inflation rate.
On top of the food list is the
price of rice which is a controlled commodity. This is why Chiu said government
should look into adjusting the country’s rice prices.
Weak peso
Robert Go, Philippine Retailers
Association-Cebu (PRA-Cebu) president, said that the government should stop the
weakening of the peso and to temporarily stop the taxes on fuel.
Go cited this possible solutions
as a way to ease the impact of inflation among the consumers.
Go also said that the increase in
inflation was expected because of a combination of several factors which
included the dollar exchange rate, new upcoming labor wage increase, the TRAIN
Law, increase in electricity, fuel increase.
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/188030/rise-july-inflation-seen-govt-urged-bring-rice-prices
Minister wants China to speed up
quality checks of millers
Chea Vannak / Khmer Times
Veng
Sakhon, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, called upon the
Chinese General Administration of Customs to send experts for the inspection of
the second batch of rice millers and rice exporters to speed up the rice export
process to China.
He spoke at a signing ceremony
between Cambodia and Beijing on a protocol to ease banana export to China on
Thursday last week.
“We want to ask China to speed up
the inspection process to allow more Cambodian rice millers and exporters to
export to China,” Mr Vanhan said.
Only 26 rice millers, processors,
and exporters passed the first round of inspection by the General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the
People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ).
Since then, China has changed the
process of inspection for rice importation and this has delayed the export
process for the 40 new companies, Hean Vanhan, director-general of MAFF’s
General Directorate of Agriculture, said.
Vanhan said the list was sent
last year and if the 40 millers and exporters are not inspected in time, it
will disparage the country’s rice export.
“It will also mean that only the
26 companies that are so far recognized can export to China,” Mr Vanhan said.
Song Saran, CEO of AMRU Rice
(Cambodia), one of country’s biggest exporters, said the acceleration of the
inspection will enhance the exportation of milled rice to China.
“It will be good that more
companies have their capacities upgraded compared to the first round of
inspection, but we have seen so many changes in compliance to requirements from
China,
“The new companies are actually
more compliant. The more companies we have to export rice to China will make us
fill the export quota given to us,” said Mr Saran, whose company was among
those that passed the first inspection.
Mr Sakhon also asked China to
increase the milled rice quota to 400,000 tons in 2019, from the 300,000 tons
this year.
In the first six month of this
year, Cambodia exported 271,537 tons of the commodity to global markets, a 5.9
percent decrease compared to the same period last year.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50519251/minister-wants-china-to-speed-up-quality-checks-of-millers/
Advanced
greenhouse will amp up rice research in Stuttgart
·
Aug 4, 2018
New greenhouse and growth
chambers added to the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart
Facilities will enable hybrid
rice breeding program and selection of rice lines for tolerance to high
nighttime temperatures
$1.88 million cost fully funded
by Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board.
STUTTGART — A research greenhouse
formally opened Thursday further enables efforts by University of Arkansas
System Division of Agriculture to stem rice yield loss after milling due to
high nighttime temperatures.
Jay Coker, Chairman of the Rice
Research and Promotion Board, said the need for an advanced facility to help
develop resilient rice varieties became apparent after Arkansas rice producers
lost yield after milling due to high nighttime temperatures in 2016. (See
background on this issue: http://bit.ly/2O1I9Gf)
Scrapping QR
to allow more rice imports will harm PHL farmers–Ibon
August 6, 2018
AN independent research group
said the plan of lawmakers to pass a new measure to remove the quantitative
restriction (QR) on rice to slash prices will also cut the income of farmers.
IBON Foundation said in a
statement that a bill that would amend Republic Act (RA) 8178, or the
Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, will cause the farm-gate price of
unmilled rice to go down due to more rice imports, but not necessarily lower
the retail price of the staple.
“If higher importation will
decrease farm-gate prices, then the already insufficient income of farmers will
fall further,” IBON said.
The group said the current
farm-gate price of palay at P21 per kilogram (kg) is “insufficient” for the
needs of farmers.
“Computing the average yield of
80 cavans of palay from 1 hectare, which is equivalent to 4,000 kg, a rice
farmer earns only P36,000 until the next cropping,” IBON said.
“Each cropping commonly lasts for
six months, which means that the farmer’s average monthly income of P6,000 is
76 percent short of the estimated monthly family living wage [FLW] of P25,454
for a family of five,” it added.
The Trade Union Congress of the
Philippine (TUCP) earlier said the government could help boost the
competitiveness of local farmers to compete head to head with their overseas
counterparts by providing them technical support using the a portion of the
tariffs from rice importation.
In his third State of the Nation
Address last month, President Duterte said he will certify as urgent a
bill that would replace the QR on rice with tariffs.
The move is aimed at arresting
the spike in rice prices, which have increased for six straight months—by
P2.53, from P37.83 per kg to P40.36 per kg for regular milled rice and by
P1.61, from P42.58 per kg to P44.19 per kg for well-milled rice.
IBON also said the new
legislative measure will not address the root cause of high prices for the
Filipino food staple: rice cartels.
“Congress may be misguided for
placing its hopes on unlimited rice importation for stabilizing supply and
prices, while the rice industry remains dominated by an alleged trading cartel
that dictates rice prices,” IBON Foundation said.
The group said this was
“apparent” during the rice crisis of 2008 up to 2010, when the country imported
an annual average of 2.2 metric tons of rice, but the retail prices of
the cereal grain continued to increase by an annual average of P1.20 until
2016.
Grain
retailers: Allow NFA to import 500,000 MT more rice
August 6, 2018
In Photo: NFA rice
kept at the National Food Authority warehouse in Quezon City.THE Grain
Retailers’ Confederation of the Philippines Inc. (Grecon) is backing the
proposal to allow the National Food Authority (NFA) to import more rice to tame
the country’s inflation and bring down the retail prices of the staple.
Grecon President Jaime O.
Magbanua said they support Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s proposal to allow
the NFA to purchase an additional 500,000 MT to 800,000 MT of rice with
staggered deliveries over the next five to six months.
“She is right. We support her
proposal. The imported volume of NFA is not enough to have an effect on the
market,” Magbanua told the BusinessMirror in an interview.
“We support [the additional
imports], and we hope that it could arrive the soonest possible time so that we
could ease tension [on prices],” Magbanua added.
As the country is at its lean
season of rice production, farm-gate price of palay has been steadily
increasing, according to Magbanua.For example, the buying price of wet palay in
Western Visayas has now reached P25 per kilogram, which would be around P29 per
kilogram when dried, he explained. This, according to Magbanua, easily
translates into a retail price of P50 to P58 per kilogram of rice.
The industry’s rule of thumb is
that the retail price of rice is double the farm-gate price of palay.“We are
appealing [to the government] to increase the volume of NFA rice in our area so
that prices would go down,” he said.
Arroyo proposal
In a Facebook post, Albay Rep.
Joey S. Salceda disclosed that Arroyo proposed that the NFA should purchase an
additional 500,000 MT to 800,000 MT of well-milled rice with staggered
deliveries over the next five to six months.
“In particular, the most basic
item—rice, there is a plan to import 500,000 MT up to 800,000 MT with staggered
delivery to minimize impacts on farm prices during the harvest season,” said
Salceda, Arroyo’s special focal person for Counter-Inflation Measures.
The NFA has purchased 500,000 MT
of rice abroad to revitalize its depleted stockpile and to resume the presence
of affordable rice in the market.The food agency is currently completing the
unloading of the 250,000 MT it imported via government-to-government scheme.
Meanwhile, the remaining 250,000 MT the NFA purchased via open tender is set to
start arriving by end of the month.
Last month, NFA Administrator
Jason Y. Aquino said they are proposing to import an additional 500,000 MT of
rice before the year ends to prevent the depletion of its stockpile and the
loss of affordable rice in the domestic market anew.
Govt investigating report of
missing rice
By NNT
August 6, 2018
Bangkok – The government has launched a probe into an allegation
that 940,000 tons of pledged rice is missing following an uproar among social
media users calling for responsible officers to be held accountable.Director
General of the Department of Foreign Trade, Adul Chotinisakorn said the
investigation has been assigned to the Office of the Auditor General of
Thailand.Rice bought under the rice-pledging scheme by the previous
administration totaled 18.7 million tons, but inspections carried out by the
Ministry of Commerce found only 17.76 million tons in stock.
The storage of pledged rice has
been overseen by the Public Warehouse Organization and the Marketing
Organization for Farmers.Adul expects the investigation to conclude before the
end of September, adding that the missing rice could be the result of
miscalculation.Since taking office, he said the current government has been
able to sell 16.84 million tons of rice for 145.86 billion baht while the
remaining 70,000 tons will be auctioned off later this month.
Lack of coordination hurting rice imports
President
Rodrigro Duterte’s call to traders to help boost the rice buffer stock of the
National Food Authority to provide consumers continuous access to affordable
rice may be imperiled be
cause
of the lack of coordination among government agencies in implementing the
presidential directive.
This
emerged after the Bureau of Customs seized some 100,000 sacks of imported
Thailand rice bought by Sta. Rosa Farm Products, one of the first companies to
heed the president’s call and pledge to provide at least 700,000 sacks of rice
to help replenish the NFA stock.
The
different varieties of imported rice was intended to be sold between P34 and
P37 per kilo in Metro Manila, which was facing a shortage in NFA supply and to
complement the “Tulong sa Bayan” caravan aimed at bringing affordable rice to
Filipino consumers.
“Our
company immediately responded and committed to help the government when the
president publicly announced that he was scrapping the import quota in order to
bring in more rice and bring down the prices for the benefit of consumers,
particularly the low-income households” said Jomerito Soliman, owner of Sta.
Rosa Farm Products.
“And
despite our efforts to coordinate with appropriate government agencies―all
backed by documents―our rice imports were seized. This is not very encouraging
to rice traders,” Soliman said.
Soliman
presented documents, all with received stamps by relevant government agencies,
to prove that the papers for his rice importation were in order.
President
Duterte in April made separate public pronouncements that he was abolishing the
quota on rice importation by private traders to ensure the NFA rice reserves are
sufficient, affordable and accessible to consumers as long as they pay the
proper tariff.
Soliman
said Sta. Rosa Farm Products heeded the government’s directive to help the NFA
boost its rice stock and to lower the price of rice, but the lack of coordination
among implementing government agencies led to the seizure of some 100,000 sacks
of rice it imported from Thailand. These were later auctioned off by the BoC
even before the expiration of the prescribed period for appeal.
The
NFA, in a letter dated July 27, 2018 addressed to Soliman, upheld the rice
importation of Sta. Rosa Farm Products, saying it was in line with the
president’s order removing the rice quota on importation, subject to 50-percent
tariff imposed by the BOC.
“But
now, I am being falsely charged and tried before the bar of public opinion for
allegedly violating the laws and portrayed as a hoarder. This is totally
untrue.” Soliman said.
To
disprove the allegation that he was a hoarder, Soliman presented a report
submitted by NFA Bulacan provincial manager Elvira Cruz Obana to NFA
administrator Jason Aquino, saying that as per order of the president and
inspection by the agency’s enforcement team for possible hoarding of NFA rice
in the Malolos warehouse of Purefeeds Corp. and its sister companies, which he
owned, authorities found no evidence of hoarding.
“Malicious
rumors harm all traders like me who conduct their operations with full
transparency in accordance with the law and in coordination with the relevant
government agencies,” Soliman said.
He
said while legitimate rice traders supported the government’s drive against
smuggling, his situation appeared to be unsettling importers who were willing
to help the Duterte administration, in fear of being labeled as hoarders or
smugglers.
“We
support the government’s drive against rice smuggling. Smuggling is not only
detrimental to the interests of Filipino farmers, but also to the interests of
legitimate rice traders like me,” he said.
After a lull, kharif sowing gains traction
Area under
rice, oilseeds, pulses and cotton picks up on good rain
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 3
Widespread rains that lashed most
parts of the the country in the last few days have helped farmers make up for
the shortfall in sowing with planting of rice, pulses and oilseeds gathering
momentum.
But monsoon rainfall was still on
an average 7 per cent lower than that compared to the long period average for
the corresponding period.
According to kharif crop sowing data
released by the Agriculture Ministry, a total of 855 lakh hectares (lh) has
been brought under cultivation till Friday as against an area of 870 lh covered
during the corresponding period last year.
Soya, rice up
A nearly 11 per cent increase in
soyabean cultivation to 110 lh (99 lh) pushed up the area under oilseeds
cultivation to 158 lh, which was 5.78 per cent higher than the corresponding
period last kharif season.
There has been a substantial
spurt in rice planting with the area jumping to 263 lh — 4.17 per cent lower
than the 274 lh logged during the same period last year.
Pulses coverage
Pulses too registered a
significant improvement in sowing with deficit shrinking to less than 4 per
cent to around 116 lh as compared to the same time previous kharif season.
The area under both arhar and
moongbean has improved, while urad acreage is languishing at 32.5 lh, down by
11 per cent from last year’s 36.65 lh. The spurt in maize and jowar
cultivation, on the other hand, helped coarse cereals to close the gap with the
deficit coming down to 2.90 per cent at 155 lh.
Bajra too witnessed a rise in
acreage but at 55 lh, it is 13 per cent lower than that in the corresponding
week last year, the official data showed.
The area under cotton cultivation
too was marginally lower at 102.5 lh, mainly on account of shortfall in
cultivation in Punjab and Karnataka.
Good monsoon rains have helped
not only in the coverage of crops but also in improving water levels in major
reservoirs in the country.
Storage levels rise
According to the Central Water
Commission, which monitors 91 major reservoirs in the country, cumulative water
availability in these reservoirs 73.47 billion cubic metres (BCM), which is 10
per cent more than the live storage of corresponding period last year.
Thanks to bountiful rains this
season, reservoirs in South India, which account a third of the water bodies
monitored in the country, have 62 per cent of their total capacity filled as
against 28 per cent during the corresponding period last year.
In all other regions, the live
water storage was lower than that in the previous year, the worst being North
India where the cumulative water storage was 33 per cent as against 61 per cent
during the corresponding week last year.
Iraq Farmers Hit Hard by Severe Water Shortages
With
one in five Iraqis working as farmers, crippling water shortages have pushed
many to find alternative employment
August 06, 2018
The canals branching out of the Tigris river and into the
adjoining farmlands are empty and dry. Devoid of water, the rice, wheat and
barley fields are left without vegetation.
The Tigris today is far shallower than it was a year ago, and
for farmers in Iraq, this is a catastrophe, Aljazeera reported.
Omar Di’ibil, 35, has been a farmer in Radwaniya, on the
outskirts of the capital, Baghdad, all his life—just like his father and
grandfather were before him.
Like many others across the country, this year’s crippling water
shortage has left him able to grow just a few hectares of wheat and barley.
Soon, he says, there won’t be enough water to grow anything on his once-fertile
lands.
“I used to plant 52 hectares of land or even 60. Now, I can only
plant between three to five hectares of land,” says Di’ibil.
Increasingly erratic rainfall across the region, along with the
construction of dams in upstream Turkey and Iran, have reduced the amount of
water flowing in the key rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates by at least 50% in
recent decades, according to Iraqi government officials. This has hit the
country’s agricultural and farming sectors hard.
The prolonged reduction of water levels in rivers slashes
electricity generation from hydroelectric dams, which, in turn, affects the
water supply for agriculture and eventually forces the country to import more
food than it already does.
According to Zafer Abdullah, an adviser to Iraq’s Ministry of
Water Resources, a particularly dry season and adverse regional water policies
have left “Iraq with only enough water to irrigate half of its farmland this
summer”.
Consequently, the government has now banned the plantation of
summer crops, including corn and paddy rice cultivation.
No Water, No Farming
According to official estimates, one in five Iraqis is a farmer.
The depleting water levels in rivers have led to a big slash to both their
production and income.
“Our lands have become arid and empty (of vegetation),” laments
Di’ibil.
The increasingly dry seasons have not only resulted in reduced
rainfall, but also made the water that is available salty and unsuitable for farming.
“Water from the Tigris would flood our lands years ago. Then we
used to pump the fresh water. But now we are having to use wells, and even they
are becoming dry and salty,” says Di’ibil.
When water levels are down, a phenomenon known as salt tide appears,
where the lower course of a river, with its low altitude with respect to sea
level, becomes salty. If dry seasons are prolonged, this phenomenon becomes
harder to overcome, leaving farmers helpless and searching elsewhere for
income.
Abdel Rahman al-Mashhadani, an Iraqi economic expert, says a
large number of people have migrated from rural areas to the cities as a result
of the water shortages. “Our urban areas are imploding and unemployment is on
the rise,” he says.
From Farmers to Employees
Amid the worsening situation, many in recent years have been
forced to find another job to supplement their income.
One of them is 23-year-old Abdelrahman Mansour, also from
Radwaniya. He says he was left with no choice but to abandon farming and become
a construction worker.
Rice, especially the Anbar variety which is particular to the
country and known for its distinct aroma, is an important commodity in Iraq.
But without sufficient water, production levels are being reduced this year.
According to Abdullah, the ministry adviser, the levels of water
needed by the sector in previous years are no longer available.
But in a bid to ensure that this popular strain of rice does not
become extinct, Iraq has limited the number of hectares it will grow this year
to the bare minimum.
“The ministry restricted paddy rice cultivation to only 5,000
hectares. Last year, we planted 270,000 hectares of paddy rice instead,” said
Abdullah.
This is a reflection of the wider situation when it comes to
Iraq’s food production and security.
Imports Rise
Although the country has been importing most of its wheat and
other basic foodstuff for years, the continued loss of grain production means
an increased need for imports to satisfy demand, according to experts.
“Since 2010, we worked on producing our own rice and wheat so
that we can reduce our imports, which went down from 3.5 million tons to 2.5,”
said Mashhadani, the economist. “But we’ve already gone back to importing more
foodstuffs.”
In addition to water shortages, food production in Iraq has been
affected by IS militant’s 2014 takeover of Salahuddin, Nineveh, Kirkuk, and
Anbar—areas that comprise the cou
Despite the water shortages, there is enough drinking water for
all provinces, but the government needs to ensure its equal distribution, he
added.
Rice crop in danger due to water shortage
By Hafeez Tunio
August 6, 2018
PHOTO: APP/FILE
KARACHI / LARKANA: Severe water shortage for rice crop in upper
Sindh has been troubling farmers as it has delayed the sowing of the crop.
Farmers are not even certain whether they will be able to harvest the crop.
They have been waiting for water to sow rice
in the thousands of acres of paddy fields in Larkana, Dadu, Khairpur, Kamber-Shahdadkot,
Kashmore and Jacobabad districts. The crop requires an extensive amount of
water and without abundant supply of water, its cultivation cannot be started.
The paddy farmers have been protesting
against the shortage of water, however, their hue and cry is apparently not
affecting the authorities. The protesting farmers have staged sit-ins and
observed hunger strikes in the last few weeks but the ongoing political
wrangling due to the elections has become so all-encompassing that the
authorities concerned have turned a blind eye to the issue.
According to the paddy farmers, the acute
water shortage is not only feared to hit the rice crop but it has also
translated into water disputes among different communities.
“Paddy sowing has been delayed. Normally, we
get the water in mid-May and finish the sowing by July. More than 70% people
have not sown their crop,” said Mohammad Mosa, a farmer who lives near Kamber
taluka.
Mosa and dozens of other farmers blocked the
National Highway on Friday to divert the authorities’ attention towards their
plight but they were dispersed by the police with teargas. “We are now planning
to observe hunger strikes in Larkana city,” he said.
Ameer Ali
Mugheri, the chairman of a union council, Lalu Raunk, in Kamber-Shahdadkot
told The
Express Tribune that many people who sowed the paddy sapling
had not lost hopes of harvesting the crop.
“We spend all night monitoring the water,
but all canals are dried up. Not a single drop can be found here. Irrigation
officials are saying there is no water in the Indus River. They are telling us
to wait for rains,” Mugheri said
“I personally have sown paddy in around 200
acres, but all saplings have been gasping,” he said decrying that he had lost
the hope that he could harvest the crop this year.
In Larkana division, the Rice Canal is a
major source of water for crops but it is completely dry at present. People
from Naudero and Rato Dero from where Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has recently won the elections protested in Larkana
city.
“This is the peak season and every year we
would see abundant water in the Rice Canal, which is now shriveled,” explained
Jamal Daudpota, a local journalist. He added that peasants and farmers were
staging protests every day but they were not being reported in the media as the
media was only focusing on the post-elections political scenario.
The water shortage has also reportedly hit
the paddy crop in lower Sindh were it is cultivated in Thatta, Badin,
Mirpurkhas and Sanghar districts.
Speaking
to The
Express Tribune, Sindh Abadgar Board’s Abdul Majeed Nizamani said
around 2.2 million acres of paddy crop was yearly harvested in upper and lower
Sindh, however, a major part of the crop would be affected this year due to
water scarcity.
Nizamani added that Sukkur and Kotri
barrages were major sources of irrigation in the province from where various
canals, including Phuleli, Old Phuleli, KB Feeder, Rice and Dadu canals, would
carry water to different districts of Sindh. “The water situation in all
the canals is alarming because of shortage of water in the Indus,” he said.
“We have approached the irrigation secretary
and the [relevant] minister but all in vain,” Nizamani lamented, adding that
loss of paddy crop would be an economic blow for the province this year.
Criticising the government policies, he said
growers and famers were vulnerable because they did not get any relief from
elected governments. “In India, the price of urea fertiliser stands at six
dollars per bag, but here we have to pay 15 to 16 dollars,” he claimed, adding
that despite the fact Pakistan was an agrarian country, all successive
governments had ignored the agricultural economy.
Rice Prices
as on :
06-08-2018 11:53:57 AM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bahraich(UP)
|
125.80
|
97.18
|
6995.00
|
2250
|
2250
|
0.90
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
60.00
|
-25
|
3200.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
9.09
|
|
Jayas(UP)
|
27.00
|
-57.14
|
1823.50
|
2050
|
2100
|
5.13
|
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
|
21.00
|
13.51
|
1525.00
|
2690
|
2685
|
-
|
|
Jafarganj(UP)
|
21.00
|
31.25
|
874.00
|
2200
|
2250
|
-
|
|
Paliakala(UP)
|
10.00
|
11.11
|
977.10
|
2260
|
2290
|
-
|
|
Ruperdeeha(UP)
|
10.00
|
-
|
10.00
|
2000
|
-
|
-
|
|
Khurja(UP)
|
8.50
|
70
|
741.50
|
2660
|
2600
|
-
|
|
Badayoun(UP)
|
8.00
|
-60
|
549.00
|
2410
|
2380
|
-
|
|
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
|
5.00
|
NC
|
330.40
|
3000
|
3000
|
20.00
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
5.00
|
NC
|
694.00
|
2230
|
2230
|
-
|
|
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
|
4.00
|
33.33
|
375.50
|
2250
|
2240
|
0.45
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
3.30
|
NC
|
564.40
|
2929
|
2920
|
30.18
|
|
Kamalghat(Tri)
|
1.00
|
-
|
1.00
|
2900
|
-
|
-
|
Published
on August 06, 2018
TOPICS
Rice Prices
as on :
07-08-2018 12:08:08 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bazpur(Utr)
|
187.40
|
483.8
|
2283.60
|
2450
|
2300
|
NC
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
60.00
|
NC
|
3260.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
9.09
|
|
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
|
60.00
|
-14.29
|
2945.00
|
2750
|
2750
|
7.84
|
|
Jaunpur(UP)
|
26.00
|
44.44
|
1470.60
|
2240
|
2230
|
6.67
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
25.00
|
-28.57
|
372.00
|
2290
|
2260
|
5.53
|
|
Sahiyapur(UP)
|
18.00
|
-2.7
|
2355.50
|
1660
|
2160
|
-
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
14.00
|
16.67
|
897.00
|
3250
|
3200
|
28.71
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
13.00
|
30
|
771.50
|
3300
|
3300
|
46.67
|
|
Badayoun(UP)
|
12.00
|
50
|
561.00
|
2410
|
2410
|
-
|
|
Ghatal(WB)
|
12.00
|
-40
|
214.00
|
2550
|
2500
|
4.08
|
|
Khalilabad(UP)
|
9.00
|
-70
|
1071.00
|
2165
|
2135
|
-
|
|
Utraula(UP)
|
8.00
|
-86.89
|
208.70
|
1610
|
1
|
-
|
|
Paliakala(UP)
|
8.00
|
-20
|
985.10
|
2265
|
2260
|
-
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
6.40
|
93.94
|
570.80
|
2920
|
2929
|
29.78
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
6.00
|
20
|
700.00
|
2225
|
2230
|
-
|
|
Chitwadagaon(UP)
|
6.00
|
20
|
214.20
|
2050
|
2100
|
-3.76
|
|
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
|
5.00
|
25
|
380.50
|
2240
|
2250
|
NC
|
|
Ruperdeeha(UP)
|
5.00
|
-
|
5.00
|
2000
|
-
|
-
|
|
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
|
2.50
|
-50
|
332.90
|
3000
|
3000
|
20.00
|
|
Chandoli(UP)
|
1.50
|
25
|
233.80
|
2235
|
2245
|
-
|
Published
on August 07, 2018
ARI bioenergy experts come up with green alternative to stubble burning
| TNN | Updated: Aug 6, 2018, 12:45 IST
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Stubble burning or the burning of paddy residues, more commonly known as rice straws, generally occurs in north India, particularly in Punjab and Haryana.
Since 2015, a team of scientists comprising Prashant Dhakephalkar, Sumit Dagar, Pranav Kshirsagar, V B Lanjekar, Deepa Shetty and Sneha Tapadia have been working hard to develop a microbial process to break down the agricultural residue, reduce economic impact and curtail pollution levels.
“We have developed a microbial process for bio-methanation of rice straw. Rice straw is a burning problem, figuratively and literally. Burning of rice straw contributes to pollution. However, it is also a terrific source of bio-methanation. However, as it contains lignin and silica, the lignocellulosic biomass becomes very difficult for microorganisms to digest. The process is economical and energy efficient,” Prashant Dhakephalkar, senior scientist in charge of the bioenergy group at ARI, said.
Sumit Dagar, another scientist involved in the project, said, “Conventionally, a thermochemical pre-treatment process is followed to break down the lignocellulosic structure and make it amenable to microbial attack. However, this process is expensive, energy intensive and causes secondary pollution. The new process does not require any pre-treatment.”
It was during their efforts to eliminate the pre-treatment stage that the scientists team started looking for alternatives.
Dhakephalkar said what is good about this new method is that it is environment friendly. “It offers an opportunity for farmers to earn some revenue. They can sell the rice straw to entrepreneurs who can use it to generate methane.”
Genetically
Modified, HIV-Neutralizing Rice Cultivated To Provide Treatment In Developing
Countries
In the future, rice may do more than just feed people. Scientists have been genetically modifying rice to overcome a number of obstacles, including climate change and malnutrition. They’ve recently found another use for rice, although it’s a bit less straightforward. According to research groups in the UK, US, and Spain, rice can be developed to combat HIV.
In developing areas like Africa, HIV and AIDS are a widespread problem. According to DoSomething, a million people die of AIDS every year in Africa alone. 91% of children with HIV are located in Africa, and many of these children contracted the virus from their mother. Without the proper treatment, the virus is passed on in the womb. To make matters worse, nearly 60% of women in Africa have contracted HIV.
his genetically modified rice might mark a turning point. The rice seeds of this particular strain contain the lectins griffithsin, cyanovirin-N, and the monoclonal antibody 2G12. These bind to a specific protein and prevent the virus from targeting other cells.
According to IFLScience, the seeds can be ground up and turned into a cream, and the topical medication can somewhat replace retro-viral medication. Not to mention, the seeds cost very little to grow, harvest, and process. If the rice farms are spread evenly through the area, people in remote areas won’t have to travel far to find treatment. This creates a cheap, accessible form of medication for those who would go untreated otherwise.
While it might take a while for the rice to pass trials and regulations, the potential behind the concept is impressive.
AddThis India’s rice heads to Beijing now
By
, ET Bureau|
Aug 06, 2018, 12.34 PM IST
0Comments
New Delhi:
China is set to import Indian basmati
and non-basmati rice for the first time,
said millers and traders who have started getting inquiries from buyers from
the neighbouring nation.
Beijing has already cleared 19 Indian rice companies to buy rice from. India exports 4 million tonnes of aromatic basmati rice a year and expects that to grow 5% this year with the opening of the new market, traders said. The country ships another 8.5 million tonnes of non-basmati rice to international markets.
“Trading companies like Louis Dreyfus, Cofco Agri and regional players like Beijing Guchuan Rice Mills and Nice Foods are keen to import basmati, nonbasmati and even broken rice from India. It is a good development for Indian rice companies and farmers,” said Vijay Setia, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.
Kohinoor Foods, LT Foods, KRBL, Lalitha Enterprises Industries, Sriram Foods and Gajanan Rice Mills are among companies which have the permission to export to China and are already in talks with buyers.
The trade expects four more Indian companies to get clearance to export post China’s General Administration of Customs and state-owned food processing company Cofco making an inspection of Indian mills, said BV Krishna Rao, managing director of Pattabhi Agro Foods. “It’s a great opportunity and a huge market to tap into. With large disposable incomes, the consumer is looking for quality product.” China wants freshly milled rice which is soft and sticky, said Setia. “Initially, we will export 300 tonnes for trial with demand largely to be from Indian diaspora and restaurants.”
The trade sees major demand in the east coast of China: Shanghai and Guangzhou, from Arabs, Iranians and Indians.
India has been pitching agriculture products, from rice to sugar, for export to China to bridge a widening trade deficit. In April this year, PM Modi visited China. In May, officials from China inspected rice mills that are keen to export basmati and non-basmati rice to their country.
Beijing has already cleared 19 Indian rice companies to buy rice from. India exports 4 million tonnes of aromatic basmati rice a year and expects that to grow 5% this year with the opening of the new market, traders said. The country ships another 8.5 million tonnes of non-basmati rice to international markets.
“Trading companies like Louis Dreyfus, Cofco Agri and regional players like Beijing Guchuan Rice Mills and Nice Foods are keen to import basmati, nonbasmati and even broken rice from India. It is a good development for Indian rice companies and farmers,” said Vijay Setia, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.
Kohinoor Foods, LT Foods, KRBL, Lalitha Enterprises Industries, Sriram Foods and Gajanan Rice Mills are among companies which have the permission to export to China and are already in talks with buyers.
The trade expects four more Indian companies to get clearance to export post China’s General Administration of Customs and state-owned food processing company Cofco making an inspection of Indian mills, said BV Krishna Rao, managing director of Pattabhi Agro Foods. “It’s a great opportunity and a huge market to tap into. With large disposable incomes, the consumer is looking for quality product.” China wants freshly milled rice which is soft and sticky, said Setia. “Initially, we will export 300 tonnes for trial with demand largely to be from Indian diaspora and restaurants.”
The trade sees major demand in the east coast of China: Shanghai and Guangzhou, from Arabs, Iranians and Indians.
India has been pitching agriculture products, from rice to sugar, for export to China to bridge a widening trade deficit. In April this year, PM Modi visited China. In May, officials from China inspected rice mills that are keen to export basmati and non-basmati rice to their country.
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